Sinful
by FairMaiden333
Summary: Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned from the moment I was born. Moments from the lives and deaths of seven siblings by soul.
1. 2 am

_Dear Readers - it was such fun to write Interlude that I had to continue. Also, I think there's a definite need for more family-style fics to be written for the homunculi, so here I am, trying to fill the void with my little bit of fire and ice. Enjoy._

_Reviews make everybody happy. Do it today!_

_~ FairMaiden333_

_P.S - Broken Wall and Within These Walls will be updated - it may just take a little longer to get the chapters ready._

_Disclaimer__ - _I do not own Pride, or his step-mother-who's-really-his-sister-in-law. Nor do I own Fullmetal Alchemist. Having wrung that admission from me, what do you intend to do to make me feel better?

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><p><em>Prompt - 2 am<em>

Any normal child would have been asleep long since, but Selim Bradley was still staring up at his ceiling with sightless eyes, turning the day's events over in his head. Normally, he would have snuck out the window by now, but tonight his 'mother' seemed unwilling to let five minutes pass without creeping into his room to check on him. The incident with the car had obviously shaken her nerves.

"Selim?" He repressed as sigh of irritation as his door creaked open again, the soft footsteps padded towards his bed. "Still awake, dear?"

"Yes, Mother," he responded. The light from the hall fell half across her worried face as she stroked his hair, and Pride forced himself not to pull away from her hand. How he hated the stupid human warmth that made her touch and talk and _care _and act as if he, the first of Father's children and his favorite son, had any need of her reassurance.

"I was worried that you might have nightmares," she said.

"Don't worry, Mother. I never have nightmares," Selim said placidly. It was true. He was the perfect son - he made sure of that. Of course, he had slipped up earlier, when he walked out in front of that vehicle without noticing, his mind taken up with other matters. It still disturbed him to remember her shriek, her sudden lunge, the warm hugs and tears which had followed when she had been assured that he was all right. That caring warmth again, which was nothing like anything he'd known before, but for a moment had weakened him enough that he'd returned her embrace with real sincerity. Now he tensed his hands into fists under the blanket, stiff with disgust at the idea that he had behaved as if he truly wanted this woman's affection, even for a moment. Father would have been ashamed. As a homunculus, he should not be influenced by lesser beings - he should not, _would _not, let this human matter to him.

"My brave little boy," she finally sighed. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Remember, sweetheart, you don't have to be alone just because you're too proud to admit that you're scared. Mother's here if you need her."

Long after she closed the door behind her Pride was still rigidly lying in bed, glaring at the ceiling. Stupid woman. She knew nothing…


	2. Metaphor

_Here's the second - enjoy! All the reviews in the world belong to Greed. Be sure to leave him some of them._

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - _I do not own Greed, or Fullmetal Alchemist.

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><p><em>Prompt - Metaphor<em>

"He's like a diamond," Pride said with a certain weary distaste. "All flash and glitter and showing off - and that hard shield."

Lust disagreed. "He's like a magnet," she said wryly. "Things just naturally seem to be attracted to him - and he doesn't seem to mind, does he? According to him, it's all his anyway."

Father called him Greed, and their new sibling was there to stay.


	3. Sky

…_And here's another one. _

_Review and Envy may possibly give you a hug. _

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - _I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. How I envy those that do…

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><p><em>Prompt - Sky<em>

"Just five minutes more, Lust!" Envy whined, staring longingly up at the serene blue sky. "I've never seen anything like it before…"

"Father said only for a short time at first. Maybe you can come out again in a few days."

Envy scowled in disappointment. "Fine." Turning back towards the entrance of the tunnel, he saw a little black beetle struggling through the sunlit grass and stomped viciously on it, reducing it to a dark smear on the ground. "Stupid bug. If I can't have it, why should you?"


	4. Lost scene

_I felt really bad writing this one - but then, let's face it, whenever Father comes into an scene he's usually going to make it unpleasant. Unless he's asleep. *Glares at sleeping Father* It's about the only time he's bearable._

_Review! Please!_

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - _I don't own anything except - okay, okay, I don't own anything.

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><p><em>Prompt - Lost scene <em>

"Bring her back!" Envy begged, his thin frame trembling and his hands clenching with repressed grief and wild hope. "Please, Father, you can do anything and I - I believe that we will be able to perform our tasks more efficiently with her assistance - please bring Lust back!"

Father frowned, his eyes never leaving his book. "As I have already said, Envy, your sister served a greater purpose," he said with a hint of stern reproach. "Unless you wish to be severely punished, do not trouble me again. Or must I explain myself to _you_?'

Envy backed up a few steps, flushing with a mixture of fear, shame, and choked-back tears. "N-no, Father," he whispered. He turned and fled to the tunnels, pushing aside an anxious Gluttony along the way. Once there, he was violently ill, bent over and clasping his heaving stomach.

He told himself that it was just because he had upset Father.


	5. Degrees

_Hmm. Envy and Lust are beginning to monopolize these. Oh well, who cares? They're so cute!_

_Reviews will make them both happy._

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - _I own them not.

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><p><em>Prompt - Degrees<em>

"I'm n-not cold," Envy insisted, clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering. "Don't give me that look. I'm fine. Snow doesn't b-bother me."

Lust sighed, her eyes traveling over his scanty black clothing. "One of these days I'm going to make you wear a coat."

Envy frowned. "Coats m-make me look bulky," he complained. "I'd rather be cold."

Another sigh. Little brother was so hyper-sensitive about his appearance. "A jacket, then. It's zero degrees out there. Look, Envy, wearing something warm isn't going to ruin your image."

Envy snuck a reassuring glance at the mirror on the wall, making sure that his form was as cute as ever. "Says you," he muttered rebelliously.


	6. Seize the Day

_Another update! All you people who've put this on Story Alert, it would really mean a lot if you would drop a review…_

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - Yes, of course I own Greed. And Fullmetal Alchemist. The voices in my head told me so. _

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><p><em>Prompt - Seize the day<em>

Greed was laughing his head off in the open street, ignoring all the stares he was getting from the passersby. He'd snuck out without Father's permission for the first time, and the euphoria was making him lightheaded. "I don't know why I didn't do this years ago!" he howled. "I'm free! Free! The whole day is mine! All mine!"

A worried-looking man approached him gingerly. "Sir, are you quite - well…?"

"Never better!" Greed told him amiably, lowering his arms. "For the first time, I'm going to do just exactly what I want to do, and if dear old dad doesn't like it, then he can - he can - go to hell." Instinctively, he closed his eyes and waited a moment, but when nothing happened (apart from the sound of feet shuffling hastily away) he opened them with a grin that he felt was wide enough to swallow the world. "I'm alive! Maybe daddy sir ain't as omnipresent as he makes out, huh?"

He grabbed another passerby. "Excuse me, but could you direct me to the nearest bar?"


	7. Opposite

_Hello! Dunno why, but I've always thought that Lust might have seen some similarities between Edward and Envy, especially in the Lab Five scene. The almost sympathetic, scolding way she treated him then was highly reminiscent of the way she'd speak to Envy - so here this is._

_Review and tell me what you think of it! _

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - _I own nothing.

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><p><em>Prompt -Opposite<em>

Golden hair and ink-black.

Eyes the color of the sun and eyes the color of night shadow.

A human and a homunculus.

A hero, to be lauded for his loyalty and courage (according to the friends of one); and a villain, to be hated for his treachery and cowardice (according to the enemies of the other).

Surely nothing could be more different. Complete opposites in every way.

So why, Lust wondered as she looked at the furious scowl of the Fullmetal boy, still stubbornly refusing to give up because he was too proud to admit that he was badly injured, lashing out angrily in an effort to cover up his embarrassment, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes revealing what a child he still was behind all his toughness - why did he remind her so much of the younger brother standing by her side?


	8. Passions run

_Be prepared for something a little more light-hearted than usual. Poor Lust. It can be so difficult to be the one in charge._

_Review - or Pride will come after you in the night._

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer_ - If I owned Fullmetal Alchemist, all three of these characters would still be alive.

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><p><em>Prompt - Passions run<em>

Two pairs of narrowed eyes, check.

One angry scowl, one mocking grin, check check.

One underground tunnel, partly reduced to rubble (and Pride's going to go off into one of his lectures about how she should keep them under control and he can't be everywhere and they should be more responsible, ect, ect. ) Check.

One shared glance of mutual consternation when they see their sister standing in the 'doorway' (or the ragged hole said doorway has been reduced to) with a look on her face that clearly said someone was going to die. Oh good, they _should _be worried.

Hand on hips. "I don't want to hear what Greed said, and I don't want to hear what Envy did. You two should be ashamed of yourselves, quarreling like this. If Father heard about it -"

It's almost funny how fast Envy shifts back into his 'cute' form. Greed uncomfortably kicks a rock to powder with his shielded foot, opening his mouth before obviously deciding not to make a smart remark for once in his life. Wise choice.

"I want this place cleaned up -"

"Aw, Lust!"

"Come on!"

" - by the end of the day. Do it right, and maybe I won't tell Pride this time."

Silence, as the idea of a displeased older brother - complete with shadows and evil eyes and lots of screaming - sinks in.

"Fine."

"Kay."

Sigh. After all, they're both kids still, and she has a soft spot for both of them. "All right, don't give me that look. I'll help you out just this once. _Only _this once. If it happens again…"

"Thanks, Lust!"

"You're all right, sis. Unlike some people I could mention…"

Growl. "Who are you looking at?"

"_Boys!"_

Her little brothers. Some days it's a toss-up as to whether she wants to hug them or run them through. All the same, she has to admit (as she watches Envy 'accidentally' dump a stone block on Greed's now unshielded foot) that home would be pretty dull without both of them.


	9. Connection

_Thanks for the lovely reviews - they mean a lot. I'm uploading two new chapters this time. Gluttony's been a tad neglected, so he gets to have one all to himself. Make his day by giving him more nice reviews._

_Happy reading!_

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - Gluttony ate the piece of paper which proved that I owned Fullmetal Alchemist. Now I own nothing. *Sob*_

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><p><em>Prompt - Connection<em>

He was hungry hungry hungry from the moment he knew he was alive and what he was, and if Father hadn't told him no and no again Gluttony might have just jumped at those strange moving things that didn't look like Father or him, and eaten them all up, but instead he was good and stayed where he was.

One of them was all shadowy and sort of scary, even though he was smiling at him and Gluttony listened very hard as Father told him that this was his brother Pride. Then the one with long dark hair came up and patted him on the head and he nearly flinched away in surprise before he decided that he liked it. This was his sister, Lust, and she had a nice soft voice and soft hands and she gave him a nice big piece of meat to eat and Gluttony decided that he was very happy that Father had told him not to eat her.

She was the one who took him away to show him around the big tangle of dark tunnels that was their home while Father and scary brother Pride talked together. She talked to him too, in her pretty soft voice. Gluttony wasn't even sure what 'underground' or 'alchemy' or 'Promised Day' meant yet, but he didn't want to disappoint his nice new sister, so he nodded and hurried his clumsy footsteps to keep up with her graceful stride, and tried to look like he understood.

Maybe being alive wasn't such a bad thing. And maybe, after Lust finished talking, she'd give him something else to eat!


	10. Lull and storm

_Here's the next - warning, I was the one who wrote this, and it still depressed me. _

_Rated T for Greed._

_You know the gig. The reviews belong to the scary homunculus with the Ultimate Shield - you'd better hand them over._

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - _I don't own anything. Except the disclaimer, which I think belongs to me.

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><p><em>Prompt - Lull and storm<em>

The air was strangely still, storm clouds gathering overhead as he stormed away in disgust from yet another furious argument with his older sister, the memory of her words still ringing in his head.

_Family. _Huh. It had taken him a hundred years, but he'd finally figured out that when it came to family, home sweet home was nothing but a sick joke. Children? Dear old Dad didn't want children, he wanted slaves, pawns that he could use up and throw away in his quest for ultimate power. His 'holier than thou', self-sacrificing father act was just that, an act. And Greed had fallen for it along with the rest of his siblings.

For a while.

Because he'd wanted to believe it, wanted to believe that this _family _could fill the emptiness inside him.

The storm broke overhead, and raindrops pelted down like tiny bullets made of water, soaking his hair, the jacket that Pride had sneered at because he'd 'borrowed' it off a human, his thin shirt and trousers.

He started running, keeping a wary eye on the lightning that flashed overhead. Yeah, sure he'd wanted this family thing to work out as much as anybody, no matter what Lust said. But you had to face the facts, and the facts were telling him clearly to get out of there while the going was good. There was a whole world out there for the taking, the vast hunger within him was begging to be sated, and he'd finally realized that it wasn't going to happen around here.

He'd find another place to live, more possessions to take the edge off his desperate hunger while he searched for more, more, always more, and it would be great. Everything would be great.

He wouldn't miss them. Hell, they'd probably try to kill him once they got it through their heads that he wasn't going to be Father's obedient little follower any longer, so he'd have no reason to.

He wouldn't miss them.

A stupid little voice in his head, one he'd remember a hundred years later when an equally stupid kid forced him to face the fact that he'd lost his family a second time, whispered, _If I turn my back on something I wanted, do I deserve to call myself Greed?_

It was only to be expected that his face was wet, with the rain sheeting down now out of a darkened sky, but he was still surprised.

Pride had told him that homunculi couldn't cry.

Well, he'd always known that big brother was a lying bastard.


	11. Animal

_Umm… don't ask. This started out as a drabble and morphed into a sort of tortured Envy oneshot. Also, it's really late and I need to get more sleep._

_So - rated T for maiming and Envy and Greed's language and Envy and paranoia and… did I mention Envy? _

_Reviews will be appreciated._

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - _If I owned them, don't you think I would have admitted it by now?

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><p><em>Prompt - Animal<em>

Envy shuddered violently he knelt on the ground, rocking back and forth. The blood on his hands smeared across his chest and hips as he nervously stroked his body again and again, reassuring himself with every line and curve that he was back in the graceful, attractive form he'd chosen. He was fine. He was under control. He was okay.

Torn, bloody corpses lay scattered across the forest floor, and that was okay too because he'd done the job Father had wanted him to, he'd gotten rid of that nosy engineer who had been getting too curious about just what lay under Central City, him and his stupid bunch of friends, and even if he'd gotten a little carried away it wasn't like anybody had seen him. No, all the people who'd seen him were dead now, and that was good. He was safe.

Then Envy closed his eyes and whimpered, burying his head in his arms and fighting back the irrational desire to run all the way back home and into Lust's arms, where she could pet him and soothe him and tell him everything was all right. No, couldn't do that - he was Envy and he had to be tough, not like some stupid little kid who'd run crying to his big sister whenever something bad happened. Besides, Greed was home, and he'd see and he'd know right away what had happened, that even though he could have killed those pathetic humans a hundred different ways, Envy had let his original form take over, let it go mad with bloodlust and resentful spite - and then his thrice-damned brother would laugh at him and the taunts would begin.

_Animal. Freak. What's the matter, Cobbled-Together-Envy? Can't even keep control of your true self for one lousy mission? You can pretend as much as you like, but you'll always be an ugly bitch underneath. Oh, what a scary face. You're gonna kill me? Why don't you try it? Don't bother holding back. Let's see how repulsive you really are…_

Envy gritted his teeth, digging his fingernails into his thighs hard enough to draw blood. Instantly, energy crackled and hummed over his torn skin, healing the wound. "'M not," he muttered furiously. Instinctively, he swept his hands over his own body again. "I'm cute, I'm young, I'm beautiful…"

_Ugly freak._

"I'm beautiful."


	12. Children

_Yay, I'm updating again! Sorry for the delay, but my computer wasn't available for a few days. In a spirit of impartiality, this oneshot is for all of our dear homunculi - except Wrath. I wanted to put him in really badly, but the timing was wrong - that's what he gets for being the youngest. I'll make it up to him somehow. He'll probably get his own oneshot soon._

_Reviews make for happy, happy authors._

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - I own them not, thought I'd like to a lot… _

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><p><em>Prompt - Children<em>

On their own, with a modicum of freedom, and with the heady knowledge in their minds that they are of a perfect race with the world at their feet, they can act as grown-up as they can manage, or pretend to be. The three oldest are probably the best at it; Pride ignoring his child-like form whenever he is able and speaking with all the cold arrogance that his status as eldest son has bestowed on him; Lust holding her head high and keeping a wry, slightly cynical smile on her lips as she handles her daily tasks with an air that is never less than graceful, mature and collected; Greed strolling through his life with sharp eyes and a smirk of easy confidence on his face, and getting away with more than all the rest of them put together because not even Father is always immune to his charisma and charm.

Envy desperately wants to be, or at least to be thought of, as experienced and tough as his older siblings, chafing against his status as the crybaby of the family, the annoying brat who's been spoiled and looked after as much as possible by his big sister. For all his efforts, though, he's still the brash, cocky teenager who's in over his head, trying his best to act like the tough, ruthless monster that Father wants him to be, and hoping above anything that nobody will notice how much of a scared, uncertain kid he still is underneath. Sloth is content to be the slow, dozy thing that Pride orders around and Lust pats on the shoulder and Greed talks to every once in a while and Envy makes fun of and Gluttony curls up against; trying to reach past that would be too much effort. And Gluttony will always be the perpetual five-year old, following Lust and Envy around with wide-eyed attention to everything they say and quite happy to believe that Father made the world and everything in it as well as himself and his siblings.

But at home, before the watchful, reproving eyes of their Father, they are all little children again, terribly eager to please, each in their own way - from Envy, who waits hopefully to be noticed while keeping out of his way whenever possible, because he knows that Father doesn't like him too close - to Greed, who shrugs and slouches and talks as disrespectfully as he dares to the 'old man' and would do just about anything in the world if he thought it would please him. Lust slips into the persona of dutiful daughter as easily as she does into that of femme fatale, adopting a soft, respectful voice whenever she speaks, and for once Pride's behavior suits the form of the wide-eyed little boy which he wears. Sloth forces himself to stay awake as long as possible, hiding yawns apologetically, and Gluttony - well, Gluttony is just as much of a baby as he ever was, and is probably the best-adjusted of all of them.

Away from the dark tunnels of home, they play at being adults; away from the intoxicating freedom which the upper world brings, they play at being children.

At night, they all dream of the time before their birth, and sometimes they wake up screaming.


	13. We all float on

_It'll be a double update again, because of a stroke of inspiration. That means, of course, that I'll need double the amount of reviews. Well, I can always dream, can't I?_

_I'm curious, has anybody ever really thought about what would happen if Envy tried to go swimming…? _

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - I've asked ever so nicely, but they still won't give Fullmetal Alchemist to me._

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><p><em>Prompt - We all float on<em>

It was a warm summer day when Envy found out that he couldn't swim.

It was the first time he'd seen a lake, so he stood for more than a minute with his mouth hanging open when Greed pulled off his clothes. and plunged in, followed, after a long minute of coaxing and persuading on her brother's part, by Lust. He'd wanted to do it too - to be able to float through the water the way he'd seen the birds float through the sky, and after a moment of initial hesitation he'd eagerly waded in.

First the water was up to his waist, and then to his chest, and though Envy felt a little nervous he would have died repeatedly rather than let Greed think he was scared, and then quite suddenly and literally he was in over his head and found himself sinking like a stone through wet, weedy dimness. He tried moving his arms and legs, but his weight still dragged him down, he'd forgotten about the way his stupid weight still mirrored the size of his true form, even when he changed his shape. Envy was really scared now, and he couldn't breath, and he thrashed around in a frenzy of water, reaching for his monstrous shape in a blind panic.

His huge head broke the surface of the water after a few moments which seemed like an eternity, and by dint of clumsy paddling and wading he got back to the grassy bank he'd set out from, and dragged himself back up the side, where he shifted immediately back into his preferred form. Envy sat there, dripping wet and shivering with residual fear and shame and the sudden chill while Lust, who had easily hoisted herself up beside him, asked him anxiously again and again what had happened and what was the matter, until she finally caught her breath with a soft gasp of understanding.

"Oh - technical difficulties, Envy dear?"

Envy hunched his shoulders and wrapped his arms around his legs, refusing to look at her. "It doesn't matter," he said sullenly. "I don't like swimming, anyway."

"Can't swim?" Greed swam closer, catching onto an overhang of rock and Envy felt a sharp twinge of jealousy to see how easily he did it. "Should have thought of that before you went in over your head, brat."

Envy stiffened. Was that a touch of - almost sympathy in his tone? "You don't need to _pity _me," he snapped at him, angrily pulling away from Lust's gentle touch. "Just because you can splash around like a stupid fish all day doesn't mean that you're any better than me."

Greed narrowed his eyes. "Ooh, the little monster's getting snippy. He's all yours, Lust." A few smooth strokes and he was heading out to the open water again.

'Envy…" Lust sighed, shaking her head. He let her pull him into a hug this time, after checking to make sure his older brother was occupied with diving. "Are you all right, really? I should have thought of this…"

"I don't mind," Envy lied again. He shrugged as if he couldn't care less that he'd never be able to do what came to her and Greed so easily. "I told you, I don't like swimming anyway," and this time he almost believed himself.


	14. Chess

_Wrath finally gets his oneshot! Lashings of ginger beer for everyone!_

_Reviews will probably help poor Pride's feelings, which are trampled on in this little incident…_

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - I own nothing. Nowt._

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><p><em>Prompt - Chess<em>

"I suggest that you move your knight."

Selim Bradley gave his 'father' a poisonous glare after checking the room quickly and unobtrusively to make sure Mrs. Bradley had left. "I am perfectly capable of making my own moves, Wrath," he hissed under his breath.

Wrath smiled in return. "I only mean to point out that if you carry on this way, you're going to beat me. Again."

Pride felt a little self-satisfied hum rising his throat. "As I should. What of it?"

"You've been performing at a slightly above average level in your schoolwork. Not enough to draw attention. Don't you think people will start to take notice if you begin to regularly beat the Fuhrer at chess?" Wrath leaned back in his chair. "I am supposed to be rather good at this, you know."

Pride gritted his teeth. "Maybe I'm a child prodigy," he suggested. "Or maybe you're letting me win."

"What? I would never do a thing like that." There was a glint in Wrath's eyes which gave Pride the uncomfortable feeling that he was enjoying this. "I'm an indulgent father, but when it comes to matters of winning or losing I never back down. How do you think I got where I am today?"

"Father," Pride muttered. It outraged him, but he had to admit that Wrath had a point. "Fine," he said at last, grudgingly. "I'll - lose, I suppose. This time."

Mrs. Bradley bustled back into the room five minutes later, beaming at the pair of them. "And how is the game going?" she asked.

"I've just check-mated the little rascal," Wrath chuckled, pushing his chair back. "He put up a good fight."

"My little Selim's getting so big."

Pride seethed inwardly, keeping a sugar-sweet smile on his face. "I'll beat you next time for sure, Father!" he said eagerly. _You are going to pay for this, Wrath…_

Wrath chuckled again as he patted his 'son' on the head. "Oh, Selim, I wouldn't count on it."

And as he looked up at his youngest brother's amused smile, Pride felt the sinking conviction that indeed, he couldn't.


	15. Duty

_Thank you for all the wonderful reviews for the last few chapters - they made me so happy. Um… this is another one where I really have no idea where it came from. It sure was interesting to see where it went, though._

_Let's have three cheers for Greed, Ling and rambling dialogues, and can I please have some reviews telling me what you make of this one?_

_~ FairMaiden333_

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><p><em>Prompt - Duty<em>

"I can't believe you're still hanging around these tunnels! Why don't you listen to me? We could get out of here…"

"I told you to pipe down. It's not happening, okay? And you can stop trying to take control of my body."

"It's _my_ body."

"Not anymore. I seem to remember someone specifically saying that I could have it…"

"I never said I wouldn't try to get it back after that."

"Touché."

"So why won't you come with me? If it's power you want, I told you -"

"Look, kid, it's not that I don't want power, it's just that I've got a job to do. The old man put me on guard duty, and I can't just run off to your Ching - what sit - country on a whim."

"Xing."

"Whatever."

"But why are you listening to what he says? What's in it for you? Do you even know what he's done, what he's planning to do?"

A sigh. "Maybe you got something wrong when we were introduced. I'd understand, you were pretty worked up. I'm Greed. Greed, not Heartless Bastard With No Sense of Loyalty."

"He doesn't deserve your loyalty!"

"Frankly, kid, you're biased. Why should I listen to you? Try to look at it from my side. If your Father - the person who made you - whatever you humans have - asked you to do something for him, would you be likely to desert him?"

An angry hiss. "My father's dying."

"What?"

"You heard me. My father's dying, and I'm sitting here arguing with a stupid homunculus!"

"Now see here -"

"I should have been on my way back by now."

A long pause. "Sorry."

"…No you're not."

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><p><em>Aw, poor Ling. He hasn't figured out yet that Greed doesn't tell lies. Anyway, I never considered before that Ling might actually care about his father - it always seemed more of a cold-hearted business proposition, really - but it came out that way when I was writing. Go figure.<em>


	16. Prospect

_I'm back with another double update. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews - they really made me want to keep writing._

_I suppose this one and the next are really sort of linked - even though I didn't intend that when I started writing. This one is really set after the next oneshot, though. _

_So… anyone for a rather rambling set of last thoughts? _

_Reviews will be given a good home. Not with Father._

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - I don't own Greed - or the other homunculi - or Father - I put in a bid for the vat of boiling oil, but I lost._

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><p><em> Prompt - Prospect<em>

Blink. Eyes slowly crack open. Right… Lust is telling you to wake up. Hope you didn't oversleep. Not a usual thing to sleep at all. Did you sneak out last night to that place down the street? You can't remember.

Wait a minute - Lust. Sister. Here. Crap, that's bad. Eyes fly open, your body tries to move and discovers that it's tied up. Ow. Not to mention all the swords in your chest.

…Well that was just mean.

Back to the original thought. Sister. Sister equals family equals home equals Greed is not going to live past this experience. And Pride always said you couldn't do simple math. Shows what he knows.

Focus eyes. Ohh - look at that, the gang's all here. Uh - sans Pride. Plus the new addition. Wait a minute - also sans Sloth. So the gang is… sort of here… except not really. Hey, you've just been killed around thirty times, you're not thinking clearly.

Well, your mouth is working fine, even if your brain isn't doing so well, and in between riling up Lust and tossing insults at Envy (hey, these are your last moments, damnit, you're going to savor them!), you get to feeling almost nostalgic. Maybe you missed them after all. Just a little.

…Oh look, it's Daddy sir. And he's using his long-suffering, how-could-you-do-this-to-me voice. Yeah, you're dead. Goodbye world, it was nice knowing you. Sort of. Hello, death. You _really _never thought it'd look like boiling oil.

…Honestly. Boiling oil? That's the best thing the old man could come up with? Must be getting senile in his old age.

Well, it was fun while it lasted.


	17. missing time

_Here you go! I finally gave Wrath another one-shot. I hope Moofy-Fan is pleased with it. _

_Reviews are used to support the Wrath Foundation for Disadvantaged Homunculi. _

_~FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - I don't own Wrath or Greed. Hmm… maybe I could buy them in shares, like a cow. Anyone interested? _

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><p><em> Prompt - missing time<em>

He'd had an interesting time man-handling (or homunculus-handling, he thought with a wry twist of the mouth) him all the way down here, and more than once he'd become so furious with the dead weight he was lugging that his burden had a narrow escape from being finished off then and there. But if there was one thing he'd learned from his years of intensive training, it was a rigid self-control. He reigned his instincts in, and reached the end of his journey with his unconscious prisoner still unscathed. Well, as unscathed as he'd been at the start of the trip, anyway.

Wrath took some satisfaction in dumping his burden down onto the hard stone floor with a little more force than necessary, his eyes moving from the blood-spattered clothing and the four swords still thrust through the chest of the unconscious form to the familiar shadows of the great room they were in. He was tired, and his aging body ached from the efforts he'd put it through, and he felt strangely depressed and confused with maybe the faintest tinge of betrayal and all that just served to make him angrier.

He glared at the silent thing on the floor. It was _his _fault for letting himself be found, bringing the past crashing into the present. Now Father would have to deal with him - he could imagine the effect this little blast from the past would have on his other siblings, and it wouldn't be pretty. At least Pride wasn't here at the moment. No doubt long after this matter had been finished, they would still be feeling the dissonant effects of old memories stirred up, memories from a time Wrath himself couldn't remember because he hadn't even been born when the - person - lying before him had decided to spit in the collective face of his family and leave them behind.

He spoke aloud as he picked up the unconscious homunculus by the scruff of the neck, dragging him along as he walked towards the dais at the other end of the room. "I'm sure this isn't the homecoming you imagined. If you imagined one at all." Wrath jerked the limp body over a rock. "Well, this really isn't the way I'd imagined meeting my older brother. It's funny the way things turn out, isn't it?" He ignored the painful lump in his throat as he spoke. His body was really growing quite unmanageable. "Welcome home, Greed."

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><p><em>Aw, I felt really bad for poor Wrath after writing that one. He can't have been having the easiest time when you think about it - even though I'm furious with him about the whole stabbing-Greed and slaughtering-Greed's-followers thing. In fact, the whole situation was a very awkward one for him. I've just come to realize that might be the reason he never really said anything straight to Greed after they got home. I mean, what would you say? Sorry I stabbed you, only not really because I have a lot of built-up resentment towards you? You're my brother, let's get to know each other before Father melts you down and swallows you? Yeees… I can see that conversation going all sorts of interesting places.<em>


	18. FightFlight

_A/N - Hey, turns out I'm not dead! Isn't that nice? Since I've got another account now - you can find me at CreatorsOfWorlds, although I'm mostly working on Naruto stuff over there right now - I'm probably not going to be uploading any new stuff on this one, but I'll certainly finish this bunch of oneshots for all you wonderful reviewers._

_Honestly, I can't tell you how much it meant to see that people were still favoriting this and putting it on alert - and now that I'm updating, maybe a few of those same people will drop a review!_

_Okay. I actually wrote this several, several months ago, in anticipation of when I'd be able to show it to you, so here it is._

_Prepare for Envy angst._

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><p><em><span>Disclaimer<span>__ - I don't own Envy, I just borrowed him. _

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><p><em>Prompt - FightFlight_

Pain. Burning, terrible pain, and how could a _human _be hurting him so much? Next moment horrible, terrifying realization jolted into place and Envy staggered again, barely catching himself before he whimpered in fear.

(So these are the flames that killed Lust…)

Pain, anger, hatred and even the furious need for revenge were temporarily forgotten, pushed aside by a surge of sheer terror. Envy turned and ran, transforming faster than he would have believed possible as he threw himself into a mad dash for cover. He could hear the sounds of pursuit behind him, and it drove him to run even faster, feet slapping against the floor. He was shaken violently by uncontrollable trembling as flash after flash of memory sped through his mind.

Lust, her voice and eyes concerned as she told him that he'd be cold outside, that he should take a coat…

Pride, his voice harsher and colder than usual, shaming him publicly for his failure and ordering him back home…

Wrath, tightly and expressionlessly stating the fact of Lust's death.

Trailing his fingers through a heap of ashes, the tears that he refused to let anyone else see staining his face as he wondered how his loving, sarcastic, sweet older sister could be lying there in scattered gray dust.

The bitter, aching, agonizing loss.

The impotent rage, the hatred.

The fear.

Envy pushed himself faster, only one thought now echoing and ringing through the fog of furious terror that his mind had become.

(I don't want to die… Oh Truth, I don't want to die…)

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><p><em>Every time a reader reviews, an angel gets its wings. Think of the angels and review.<em>


	19. Respect

_A/N - Ugh. I have a sick headache and I feel like a failed human transmutation, but here's the next oneshot._

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><p><em><span>Disclaimer<span>__ - I don't own them. _

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><p><em>Prompt - Respect<em>

Greed was busy playing with a couple of the dog-like chimeras which ran around the underground tunnels when his little brother strolled into the room, hands on hips. The older homunculi ignored him - after being an ugly, embarrassing, and weeping _mess _for the first few days of his life, and turning the underground home upside down as Father tried to decide whether to keep him or not, and Lust had come as close to putting her foot down as she ever did with Father, the kid had gotten all cocky once he'd discovered the power he had for changing and shifting. He strutted around like he owned the place now, even though he'd only managed, so far, to change to one simple pale-skinned, black-haired form that he thought was cute.

Greed figured that any more attention than what he was getting from Lust (and he's _not _jealous because before Envy came along it was just between him and Pride that Lust's warm, motherly care had to be divided, and Pride was always too, well, _proud _to accept it much) would probably spoil the brat, so he'd been trying to avoid him as much as possible for the past few days. Funny. It seemed like Envy had been trying to follow him around as much as possible for the past few days.

Envy shifted his feet so that they made a noise on the floor, and coughed slightly.

Greed carried right on scratching the ears of one of the chimeras - they were all ugly as sin (he chuckled to himself over that) but kind of sweet - and ignored his little brother.

Envy sighed impatiently after a moment and stomped around to stand in front of the other homunculi. "Hey. Greed."

Greed rolled his eyes. "What is it?" he asked, making sure that it sounded as if he were doing Envy a big favor to notice him at all. _Which I am. _

"Look what I can do!" Envy's 'cute' form wavered uncertainly, shivered a moment, and then reshaped into an almost perfect reproduction of Lust. The form of their big sister smiled at Greed, tucking her hair back behind her ears. "What do you think?"

"That's just creepy," Greed said flatly. Lies were lies, whether they were physical or vocal, and he _really _didn't need another reminder that Lust had been spending all of her time coddling Envy lately. "Creepy and stupid. I mean, why would you even want to look like her?"

Envy melted back into his 'cute' form and pouted. "I was just practicing," he said. He straightened up a little and added, "It took _hours _to get it right."

Greed had gone back to teasing the chimera with a chew toy he'd made out of a piece of rope, and he looked up blankly. "Huh, sorry, what? I wasn't listening."

Envy's lips were trembling a little now, but he scowled fiercely at his big brother. "I said that it took me _hours_ -"

Greed sighed. "Never mind. Why don't you go talk about it to somebody who cares, all right? Like Lust. She's good at treating you like a baby. I don't have the time right now."

He wasn't looking at him, but he could practically feel Envy trembling with rage. "I'm not a baby!" the younger homunculus spat.

Greed raised an eyebrow and drawled, "Riiiight. So, it was somebody else giving me a headache the other day because they wouldn't stop _moaning _and _sobbing _about how nobody loved them because they were so _ugly_…"

"Shut up!" There was a thud-thud of bare feet and Envy was gone.

0

It was a couple weeks later that he found Greed again, this time idly practicing knocking rocks to pieces with his Ultimate Shield. Again, Envy planted himself in front of him until his big brother was forced to notice him.

"What now?" Greed asked wearily, smashing a block into dust.

Envy was wearing a proud little smirk that his older brother would have been willing to bet a life he had copied off Pride. "Watch this."

Envy's form blurred and shrank, a little more quickly than the last time he'd done it, and in a minute there was a small black cat sitting there and staring up at Greed, its whiskers twitching.

Greed stared at it for a long moment before shaking his head and grinning. "Envy, this one's even weirder than the last one! Your whiskers are blue."

The cat switched its tail and became Envy again, still spitting with annoyance as he got to his feet and glared at Greed. "The whiskers were just a fluke! It's perfect! I spent -"

"Let me guess. You spent _hours _on it," Greed interrupted, and frowned as he saw the dark shadows under Envy's eyes, the way his hands were shaking a little as he stood there - hell, the kid was practically swaying. Why was he putting so much effort into this, anyway? Couldn't he tell that Greed couldn't care less? "Hey - you okay?"

Envy stiffened. "I'm just fine," he said coldly, and that tone was something that he had to have copied off Pride as well. Greed felt a fresh surge of disgust as he wondered whether there was anything original about Envy. "I'm not -" he blinked, the words slurring for a moment, "not a _baby._"

Greed cocked his head to the side. Homunculi didn't need as much sleep as humans, but due to the higher rate at which they burned energy, they tended to crash hard when they did. By the looks of it, Envy was overdue by - well, by a couple of weeks. "You need sleep," he said flatly, and grabbed his younger sibling's arm, starting to drag him out of the room. "Come on, let's go find Lust."

Envy fought back, complaining at the top of his lungs for each reluctant step he took. "No! I don't wanna rest, Greed! I want to," a yawn almost split his face in half, "show you again. I can get it right this time."

"Frankly, little brother mine, I couldn't care less," Greed told him almost jovially as he dragged him through a tunnel and past a disapproving Pride who gave them an icy glare and asked "Where do you think you're going?"

"It's way past his bedtime," Greed tossed over his shoulder. "Gotta find Lust and hand the little monster here over to her. Seen her?"

"No."

Envy was dragging his feet again. "I'll _make _you care," he spat sullenly. "Next time it'll be even better, and then you'll think it's great. You wait and see."

"Yeah, yeah." Greed spotted Lust in one of the storerooms and gave Envy a push towards her. "I wasn't really listening to that - go on."

Envy stumbled over to Lust, sat down suddenly on a box, and - big surprise, Greed rolled his eyes - started crying again.

He wondered why Lust was glaring at him like it was his fault.

0

That night Greed was rummaging through the little pantry Lust had stocked, looking for a snack, when he heard a sound behind him. He turned and saw Envy, hollow-eyed and hair rumpled from sleep, staring at him with a blanket clutched around his thin shoulders.

He sighed. "What now?"

Envy blinked slowly and it occurred to the other homunculus that he wasn't really awake yet. "If I could make myself look like one of those stupid chimera things," he said, the words blurred with drowsiness, "would you care about me?" The words were painfully simple and childlike.

Greed stared at him for a moment and then stalked forward, taking hold of Envy's arm again. "Let's get you back to bed," he said grimly.

Envy went back to his pallet docilely enough. Greed wished he'd put up a fight again, so that he could scold him. As it was, he was left awkwardly standing there while Envy curled up under his blanket and sank into an instant slumber.

Little brother looked vulnerable in his sleep, long lashes brushing ivory skin and hands curled around his blanket just in case somebody tried to take it away from him. If he were Lust, he'd tuck the blanket in a little more securely and whisper some sort of comforting good-night, but he's not, so he just stands there until he gets angry at himself for being stupid and storms off.

He doesn't feel hungry any more.

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><p><em>Pity a sick author and review, would you?<em>


	20. Forbidden love

_A/N - Let the bells ring! Let champagne be broached! Let the heavens tremble with joy! Wrath is actually getting another oneshot!_

_Wrath and Mrs. Bradley are actually one of my favorite pairings from FMA - right up there with Roy/Riza. If they aren't one of yours, I hope to convert you before long. _

_Enjoy!_

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><p><em><span>Disclaimer<span>__ - I do not own, I merely admire… and offer my humble contribution to the general awesomeness. _

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><p><em>Prompt - Forbidden Love<em>

It hadn't been in Father's plans. Wrath had done it completely on his own, and she'd probably thought that his hands were shaking just because he was afraid that she'd say no, but in reality only part of his mind was paying attention to the words his lips were saying, words he'd rehearsed so many times in the mirror back home that Envy had finally stopped making fun of him and just wandered off with a shake of his head saying, "It _must _be love," - the rest of him was wondering frantically what Father would do when he found out.

Lust was on his side, and that was something, and so was Envy because of Lust, and that was something more - not because Envy could really influence Father at all, but because at least he wouldn't be trying to make Wrath's life a misery about it - and so was Gluttony and that didn't really matter at all, but it was kind of nice and everybody had agreed that it had been cute when he'd come up to his younger brother and solemnly promised not to eat his future wife 'even if I get _really _hungry'.

Pride would be against it, Wrath knew, and coldly furious because he'd managed to stop the several little romances that Lust had dared to have in her youth and he would have stopped this too, if he'd had the chance. Sloth was still working, and mattered even less than Gluttony. Still, with Lust on his side and with the thing already done, he had a chance - he had a chance.

Lust had been there when he'd come staggering home, hours late, from his little 'outing', as Envy so delicately termed it, with his head spinning with joy. "She - she said yes," he managed to gasp, and then he wondered why Father had never told him before how much happiness could be closed inside three short words. He wondered why Father had never told him about happiness at all.

Lust clucked over him, and made him change his clothing because he'd walked home bareheaded through the rain and hadn't felt a thing, and then sat him down and told him how glad she was for him, and how she would convince Father, somehow, that a wedding would fit into the Plan. "One of us," she said then, and her eyes were dark and clouded for a moment, "at least _one _of us should be happy," and he didn't say anything because Lust has always been the most dutiful daughter anyone could hope for and he knows that she loves Father with all her heart and that those words were the closest she's ever come to saying that she thought he was wrong.

They sat together in companionable silence for a long moment and then Lust allowed Wrath to tell her how fascinating and spirited and kind his fiancée was, and how she'd made him begin to think that humans - he checked himself and went on more carefully - that some humans were worth more than others, and Lust nodded quietly and patted his hand.

They both pretend that she's humoring him and that the reason she's sitting here and listening to him talk is nothing more than a kindness to her youngest brother, but she also knows that he sees the sad, wistful hunger in her eyes, and they both know that this is the closest she'll come, now, to that thing which is the completion of herself.

Then Envy burst into the room, whining at the top of his lungs about how now that Wrath's in love - 'Hush!' the two others say in alarm, glancing nervously at the door to Father's room - he's not spending any time practicing with him any more, and how he's going to get all dull not fighting anybody but humans. Wrath smiles and says that he's perfectly ready to fight any time his respected older brother feels like it, and he merely thought that he was ready to take a break from being roundly defeated all the time. Ten minutes later Lust tiredly tells them to take it into the other room, because she has to figure out how to explain to Father tactfully and smoothly that his youngest son and largest political asset wants to get married for no other reason than that he's in love.

Not that she'll say the last. She'll think up some reason that Father will accept. After all, homunculi shouldn't fall in love with humans, right? Does a human fall in love with an ant, or a dog? Perfect beings have no reason to care passionately and deeply and irrevocably for imperfect beings.

So she'll explain it to Father and smooth over the storm, and then she'll go help her little brother figure out all the difficult ramifications of his wedding, and tell him that she's happy for him and mean it. Because Lust has known for some time, with a quiet resignation, that unlike Father, she will never be perfect in that way.

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><p><em>Aw. Younger Wrath in love is so sweet… I imagine that one of the big things that tipped<em>_ Father over to agreeing with it is that Lust pointed out that it would give Pride the perfect cover identity._

…_Can you imagine Pride's face when he heard that he not only had to put up with little brother's disgraceful marriage, but that he had to pretend to be his son, and to adore the disgraceful woman in question?_

_Review! Review! Review!_

…_Review?_

_Please. For me. And the homunculi. And the world. I'm pretty sure the world needs more reviews. _


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